Here come the Judge.

The People that I meet during The Art Shoppe at Devils Ridge Golf Club were great. The event, put on by Toad in the Hole productions, was organized beautifully and I was treated like royalty. I was asked to demonstrate my painting technique during show hours. I worked on a new painting of Showy Orchids which I will post soon.

I was also invited to Judge the Oxford High School Art show which was on exhibit for the duration of the show. Judging the show was a pleasure for me and the student art was outstanding. I was able to meet some of the kids and was taken with their fresh enthusiasm for creativity.

Thank you to Toad in the Hole Productions for a very pleasant experience. It's always nice to meet new friends.

Off to the easel!

EXHIBITING : TOAD in the HOLE Art Show & Sale

I have been invited to show and sell my work at Devils Ridge Golf Club in Oxford, Michigan. I will be in great company with 25 or so other Fine Artists and Fine Crafts People. I look forward to meeting you at this event.

Date: Saturday, November 17, 2007

Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm

Location: Devils Ridge Golf Club 3700 Metamora Rd. Oxford, MI. 48371

ORCHARD LAKE FINE ART SHOW 2007

This is a shot of my booth with show go'ers enjoying my work.

TROPICAL TREE HOUSE

I've worked on this painting during the 'Sudden Encounter" piece. I can call it done after a few touch up's and additions. This piece takes you to an un-seen world in the low canopy of the tropical rainforest where the Red Eyed Tree Frogs make their home.

'Sudden encounter' Completed

'Sudden Encounter' progress update

As you can see the landscape is beginning to build up.

When completed, I expect your eye to immediately be drawn to the Lion fish and/or the pink Anemone in the foreground. Either way, I have created an elliptical path for the viewers eye to follow while allowing the Lion fish to be the star of the show.

'Sudden Encounter' in progress

About one year ago I began this painting to be used as a painting Demo at the Orchard lake Art Show in Orchard Lake, MI. At that time I had just completed the painted sketch of the landscape and the Lionfish. This image is after a year of it collection dust and a few additional hours from last month.

ACEO

ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions and Originals".

These cards have one main rule - they are 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches. They are the same size as Sports Trading Cards.

Art cards are made to be collected and/or traded. Now artists are creating, trading and selling ACEO's all over the world!

Like the name suggests, Art Cards can be originals or limited editions. Make sure you know which you are buying! If it is an edition, it should say so and be numbered and signed, usually on the back.

Shown here are a few samples of my ACEO's that I have just recently started selling on ebay. This is a set of six Colored Pencil Wildflower Cards.

Look for more to come!

I've been ShowCased!

I've been showcased in the 2006 January/February issue of Art ShowCase Magazine, page 22. This is a Michigan publication deticated solely to promoting local fine art and venues of fine art.

I've read just three issues of this magazine and already I'm hooked. Oh, not because they've selected my work for one of thier issues but because I find this publication a very valuble resorce as an artist.

Recent Awards

In October of 2006 I was juried into the Canton Fine Arts Exhibition here in southeast Michigan. This exhibit has built a solid reputation in it's fourteen year history. This was my forth year as an exhibitor and was honored for the third time as the Peoples Choice Award winner for my painting tittled, 'Monkey Business'.

In early February of this year I have received notice that I have been chosen as the Peoples Choice Award winner for the Michigan State Fair , Professional Fine Arts Exhibition for the same painting. (My forth People's Choice win)

Though juried awards are great, It's the award chosen by the viewing public that I'm most proud of.

Jamieson Collection (7 of 8 paintings)

The Jamiesons have commissioned me to paint a portrait of each of their 'feathered' children.
The birds are able to view their portraits each day while playing on their playstands which are located in the same room as the paintings. They seem to enjoy them. It was a pleasure to work with the Jamiesons and their feathered family.

My Style?

I'm often asked what style my work is. Some people say ," It looks so realistic". I say, "somewhat" and that's intentional. Some say it feels Dream-like or fantasy. I say,"maybe a little". Some tell me it can have a contemporary feel while others see a bit of traditional.
While I do feel that there is a cohesiveness to the over-all body of my work, in that it appears to have been painted by one individual, I personally don't feel that it fits into any one category. At least not one that I've heard of yet. My work does seem to have a touch of all of these elements.
What is clear is that I am drawn to bold, bright colors and strong images. I enjoy the relationship between separate elements or subjects within a scene or even the relationship between the painted subject and the viewer. My personal view is that all life, all living matter, is of equal importance and that is what I intend to portray.

The past year.

I began this blog almost one year ago with the intention of informing my interested art followers of the current direction of my work as it unfolds. At that time I had some unfinished business to attend to such as commissions (The Jamieson Collection) as well as work for the 2005/2006 show season.

While I have accomplished my goals , the eight month projected time frame for the six painting commission became twelve months. My wife says that artists tend to have a distorted sense of time and set unrealistic goals. Personally, I don't see it!